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IBM security research has found that people are using the so-called dark net to launch cyber attacks, force ransomware demands on punters and make distributed denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
The dark net, accessed via Tor, is often tagged as a threat. The IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Quarterly 3Q 2015 report identifies a spike in bad traffic and leads with a warning.
The report introduces Tor as the network that takes people to the dark net. We might start calling it the ferryman and the passage across the river Styx, but things are complicated enough.
IBM said that Tor is used by “non-malicious government officials, journalists, law enforcement officials” and bad people alike. It is the latter that should concern us.
“This latest report reveals that more than 150,000 malicious events have originated from Tor in the US alone thus far in 2015,” the report said.
“Tor has also played a role in the growing ransomware attack trend. Attackers have evolved the use of encryption to hold data hostage and demand payment/ransom for the decryption code.”
We have been here before, and ransomware has been a feature of many a security alert this year already. We heard, courtesy of Bitdefender, that ransomware charges start at £320, and are a real pain to deal with. We also heard that it is Android mobile users in the UK who get the worst of the hackers’ grabbing-for-money treatment.
Back at the IBM report, and we find IBM X-Force on the issue. X-Force, which is nothing like X-Men, said that hackers push internet users who are easily fooled by flashy online advertisements into installing the new cyber nightmare. Ransomware, it warns, will separate you from your cash.
“A surprising number of users are fooled by fake/rogue antivirus [AV] messages that are nothing more than animated web ads that look like actual products. The fake AV scam tricks users into installing or updating an AV product they may never have had,” it explains, adding that in some cases people pay the money without thinking.
“Afterward, the fake AV keeps popping up fake malware detection notices until the user pays some amount of money, typically something in the range of what an AV product would cost.”
This establishes the subject as a mark, and the hackers will exploit the opportunity. “Do not assume that if you are infected with encryption-based ransomware you can simply pay the ransom and reliably get your data back,” said IBM.
“The best way to avoid loss is to back up your data. Regardless of whether your backup is local or cloud-based, you must ensure that you have at least one copy that is not directly mapped visibly as a drive on your computer.”
Tor nodes in the US spewed out the most bad traffic in the first half of this year, according to the report, adding up to about 180,000 attacks. The Netherlands is second with around 150,000, and Romania is third with about 80,000.
The bulk of this negative attention lands at technology and communications companies. You might have assumed the financial markets, but you were wrong. IBM said that ICT gets over 300,000 Tor thwacks every six months, manufacturing gets about 245,000, and finance gets about 170,000.
IBM said that the old enemy, SQL injection attacks, is the most common Tor-led threat to come at its customers. Vulnerability scanning attacks are also a problem, and IBM said that the use of the network as a means for distributed DoS attacks should “Come as no surprise”. It doesn’t.
“These attacks combine Tor-commanded botnets with a sheaf of Tor exit nodes. In particular, some of the US-based exit nodes provide huge bandwidth,” explained the report.
“Employing a handful of the exit nodes in a distributed DoS orchestrated by the botnet controller and originating at dozens or hundreds of bot hosts can impose a large burden on the targeted system with a small outlay of attacker resources, and generally effective anonymity.”
There is a lot more. The bottom line is that bad things happen on the dark net and that they come to people and businesses through Tor. IBM said that concerned outfits should just block it and move on, which is along the lines of something that Akamai said recently.
“Corporate networks really have little choice but to block communications to these stealthy networks. The networks contain significant amounts of illegal and malicious activity,” said Akamai.
“Allowing access between corporate networks and stealth networks can open the corporation to the risk of theft or compromise, and to legal liability in some cases and jurisdictions.”
That sounds fine to us, but won’t someone give a thought to those non-malicious government officials out there?
Facebook Inc is testing a personal digital assistant called “M” within its Messenger service that is capable of answering questions with live human help and performing tasks such as buying gifts online and making restaurant reservations.
M is “powered by artificial intelligence that’s trained and supervised by people,” David Marcus, vice president of Messaging products, wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday.
Rival services like Apple Inc’s Siri, Google Inc’s Google Now and Microsoft Corp’s Cortana rely entirely on technology to answer questions.
M is a hybrid backed by a team of Facebook employees with customer service backgrounds, called M trainers, who can also make travel arrangements and appointments, Marcus wrote.
Facebook has introduced several functions inside Messenger, which boasts more than 700 million users, to transform it into a standalone platform. Earlier this year, it rolled out games exclusively on Messenger and launched products for businesses to directly connect with consumers.
The online retailer is expanding Prime Now, its one- and two-hour service, to Seattle, where the company is headquartered, and offering alcohol deliveries there.
Amazon Prime, the company’s $99 per year shopping membership program, offers free two-day delivery on millions of items. It is a key testing ground for the retailer’s new services, ranging from TV and on-demand video to fast delivery.
Amazon has said it has “tens of millions” of Prime subscribers. Analysts estimate the program to have around 40 million users worldwide.
The company has steadily expanded Prime Now since it launched the service in New York City last year. It facilitates integration of the retailer’s grocery delivery service, Amazon Fresh, which has been slower to expand to new markets.
On-demand grocery delivery is a growing and competitive market in the United States. Instacart, a grocery delivery company, announced on Tuesday that it had expanded to Indianapolis, its 17th city. Other startups, like Postmates, which focuses on meal delivery, also deliver personal care goods and alcohol for customers using a network of couriers.
Prime Now customers can order using an app available on both iOS and Android devices. Orders are shipped from smaller warehouses, or hubs. An Amazon spokeswoman said the company opened two facilities in Seattle and Kirkland, Washington, to handle Prime Now deliveries.
Intel has teamed up with OpenStack distribution provider Mirantis to push adoption of the OpenStack cloud computing framework.
The deal, which includes a $100m investment in Mirantis from Intel Capital, will provide technical collaboration between the two companies and look to strengthen the open source cloud project by speeding up the introduction of more enterprise features as well as services and support for customers.
The funding will also bring on board Goldman Sachs as an investor for the first time, the firm said, alongside collaboration from the companies’ engineers in the community on OpenStack high availability, storage, network integration and support for big data.
“Intel is actually providing us with cash, so they’ve bought a co-development subscription from us. Then, in addition, we’ve strengthened our balance sheet by putting more equity financing dollars into the company. So overall the total funds are at $100m,” said Mirantis president and co-founder Alex Freedland.
“With Intel as our partner, we’ll show the world that open design, open development and open licensing is the future of cloud infrastructure software. Mirantis’ goal is to make OpenStack the best way to deliver cloud software, surpassing any proprietary solutions.”
Freedland added that the collaboration means that there’s nothing proprietary in the arrangement that it is flowing directly into open source. No intellectual property is going to Intel.
“All this is community-driven, so everyone will be able to take advantage of it,” he added.
The move is part of the Cloud for All initiative announced by Intel in July.
Intel is becoming increasingly involved in OpenStack. The company said at the OpenStack Summit in May that it is making various contributions, including improving the security of containerised applications in the cloud using the VT-x extensions in Intel processors.
Other big companies are also backing the open source software. Google announced in July that it had joined the OpenStack Foundation as a corporate sponsor in a bid to promote open source and open cloud technologies.
Working closely with other members of the OpenStack community, Google said that the move will bring its expertise in containers and container management to OpenStack while sharing its work with innovative open source projects like Kubernetes.
Relevant tweets will appear in desktop results for queries performed in English. The search doesn’t need to include the term “twitter” or twitter hashtags — if there are tweets that Google thinks are relevant, it will surface them anyway.
Last Friday, for instance, a search for “President Obama” returned recent tweets from Obama’s Twitter account near the top of the page, below a few news articles.
The tweets that appear will include photos and links that may have been contained in the tweet.
Google has provided links to tweets in its search results for a long time, but showing the actual tweets could potentially give a boost to Twitter at a time when it’s struggling to add new users.
Google noted the expansion on Friday in an update to its earlier announcement around the mobile rollout.
The company has said it will make the feature available in other languages besides English.
Samsung is working on a huge Android-based tablet that could be used in living rooms, offices, or schools, presumably as a coffee table.
According to Sam Mobile the SM-T670, codenamed ‘Tahoe’, is an Android 5.1 Lollipop-based tablet with an 18.4-inch display.
It will have a TFT LCD screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and be powered by an octa-core 64-bit 1.6GHz Exynos 7580 processor. It will have a rather low 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, a microSD card slot and a 5,700 mAh battery. Face it though a tablet this big is not going to spend a lot of time being carried about or needing a battery.
Apparently it will have an 8-megapixel primary camera and a 2.1-megapixel secondary camera. It will be 451.8 mm wide, 275.8 mm tall, and 11.9 mm thick. Strangely no one has mentioned the things weight.
Samsung is also said to be working on a Windows 10-based tablet with a high-resolution 12-inch display, a 13nm Intel Core M chipset, 4GB RAM, and an S Pen.
The Biel, Switzerland-based company is competing with Apple and other watchmakers in the budding smartwatch market.
“Our product is called Touch Zero One and that gives enough room for Zero Five, Zero Nine,” Nick Hayek was quoted as saying by Switzerland’s Tages-Anzeiger newspaper. “The Touch Zero One is not the end of the progression.”
Hayek told the paper Swatch would launch Touch Zero Two at next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The Swiss company’s strategy appears primarily to revolve around including individual tech features in different models rather than going head to head with Apple to create all-in-one smartwatches combining many functions.
On top of its Touch Zero One, which can track the distance the wearer travels and help beach volleyball players measure the power of their hits, Swatch is planning to launch watches with an embedded “near field communication” chip this year.
The early returns on Edge not only hint at Microsoft’s failure to get the earliest adopters to rely on the new browser, but also question Mozilla’s contention that Windows 10′s setup will result in defections from its own Firefox, or by association, other non-Microsoft browsers.
During July, Edge accounted for just 0.14% of all browsers tracked by California-based Net Applications. With Windows 10′s user share standing at 0.39% for July — and because Edge works only on Windows 10 — the browser was run by about 36% of its potential users (0.14% divided by 0.39%).
Net Applications measures user share using visitor tallies to its customers’ websites. The result is a rough estimate of the percentage of the world’s online users who run a specific browser.
Data from StatCounter, an Irish metrics vendor, also showed that Edge was far from the universal browser of choice among people who have upgraded to Windows 10.
Over the first 16 days of August, Edge’s global average daily usage share was 0.7%, far below the 4.4% average daily share of Windows 10. In other words, StatCounter pegged Edge as accounting for about 16% of the online activity of all Windows 10 owners.
The low percentages of Windows 10 users currently running Edge signaled that Microsoft has not made its case for the new browser, at least among those who have jumped on the OS and its free upgrade. That’s troubling, since Microsoft has positioned Edge as its browser of the future, and put in considerable effort to making it more compliant with standards, while relegating Internet Explorer (IE) in general, IE11 specifically, to a legacy support position.
The cylinder-shaped router, named OnHub, can be pre-ordered for $199.99 at online retailers including the Google Store, Amazon.com Incand Walmart.com.
The router comes with in-built antennas that will scan the airwaves to spot the fastest connection, Google said in a blog post.
With the router, users will be able to prioritize a device so that they can get the fastest Internet speeds for data-heavy activities such as downloading content or streaming a movie.
The router can be hooked up with Google’s On app, available on Android and iOS, to run network checks and keep track of bandwidth use among other things.
Google said OnHub automatically updates with new features and the latest security upgrades, just like the company’s Android OS and Chrome browser.
The router is being manufactured by network company TP-LINK, Google said, hinting that ASUS could be the second manufacturing partner for the product.
The product launch comes days after Google restructured itself by creating Alphabet Inc, a holding company to pool its many subsidiaries and separate the core web advertising business from newer ventures like driverless cars.
Making products for the smart home is one such venture.
Google last year bought Nest, a smart thermostat maker, for $3.2 billion, aiming to lead the way on how household devices link to each other and to electricity grids.
The global market for “Internet of Things”, the concept of connecting household devices to the Internet, will nearly triple to $1.7 trillion by 2020, research firm International Data Corp said in June.
The non-profit organization has unveiled an easy-to-use app for Android devices, called Webmaker, that allows users to create Web pages and simple apps from their smartphones, which are quickly becoming the predominant technology used to use the Internet, especially in less wealthy countries.
“We want the next two billion people coming online to understand that the Web is theirs to read, write, and participate in,” said David Ascher, Mozilla’s vice president of products.
Currently, about 40% of the world’s population — or a little over 3 billion people – enjoys Internet access. Webmaker was designed to give these usersa way to create their own presence online. Webmaker also could set the stage for bringing more local content on the Web, Ascher said.
While social networking sites such as Tumblr and Instagram offer the ability to create content for mobile devices, Webmaker was designed to provide more flexibility in terms of how users can present information, by not locking them into a single format.
The foundation says it designed the software to be as easy to use as possible.
After signing in, users are provided with a blank page and the ability to add text, images or photos. Additional pages can be then be added. A user is given a map to stitch together pages in a way that best fits their needs.
When the app is finished, it is stored on the Webmaker.org site, where it can be accessed from either a phone or a computer browser.
Webmaker can run on smartphones with Android 4.0 or newer. Initially, Webmaker is available in four languages, Bengali, Brazilian Portuguese, English and Indonesian. Additional languages will be supported in future releases.
The company plans to test the device in the U.S., according to several messages posted on Twitter by the Project Ara team. Neither the exact location nor precise timing of the tests was given.
“We are looking at a few locations in the U.S.,” one tweet said.
The Project Ara smartphone is designed to let users easily swap out its components.
The idea is that users purchase the hardware modules, like processors and sensors, themselves and snap them together to create a customized smartphone. In so doing, users could improve their device on their own terms, rather than buying a new phone outright.
Google had planned to commence initial testing in Puerto Rico this year, though those plans were scrapped as part of a ”recalculation,” announced last week.
The hastag #Yeswearelate was affixed to one of the tweets on Monday.
Google did not immediately respond to comment further.
Billions of mobile phone users are at risk from a signalling flaw that allows hackers to intercept all voice calls and track locations.
Australian TV program 60 minutes is claiming the scoop, showing in a special report how hackers were able to record the mobile phone conversations of a prominent politician and track his movements from a base thousands of miles away in Germany.
This is because of a flaw in the architecture of the signalling system, known as SS7, which is used to enable mobile phone roaming across telecoms providers, according to the programme.
A hacker can use this information to listen in to any mobile phone conversation by forwarding all calls to an online recording device and then re-routing the call back to its intended recipient, a so-called man-in-the-middle attack.
It also allows the movements of a mobile phone user to be tracked on applications such as Google Maps, and 60 Minutes claimed that it throws the security of SMS verification used by banking apps, for example, into doubt.
“Verification by SMS message is useless against a determined hacker with access to the SS7 portal because they can intercept and use the SMS code before it gets to the bank customer,” the report said.
It’s worth noting, however, that the German hackers who carried out the demonstration, in which they intercepted and recorded a conversation between a 60 Minutes reporter and independent Australian senator Nick Xenophon, were given legal access to SS7 by the government, something most hackers won’t have.
Even so, the disclosures have led to calls for an immediate public inquiry in Australia, amid concerns that the security and intelligence services have long been aware of the SS7 security vulnerabilities.
Senator Xenophon said in response to the report: “This is actually quite shocking because it affects everyone. It means anyone with a mobile phone can be hacked, can be bugged, can be harassed.
“The implications are enormous and what we find shocking is that the security services, the intelligence services, they know about this vulnerability.”
What’s more, security outfit Adaptive Mobile said that such flaws should be taken seriously, as attacks can be launched anywhere in the world on any individual connected to the global SS7 network.
The firm published a blog post following the high-profile attack on Hacking Team when it first became concerned about SS7.
“Security in the SS7 network has become of paramount importance for the mobile community, so knowing how these surveillance companies regard and use SS7 is essential,” Adaptive Mobile said.
“Based on the information that has become available, it seems that there is a wider group of commercial entities selling systems that allow surveillance over SS7, and that these systems are for offer today.”
Oracle has added more allegations to its court filing against Google, claiming that it has “destroyed” the market for Java.
The case stems from the use of Java libraries in the original Android operating system design. While these are open source, a clueless judge ruled that the APIs allowing third parties to use the libraries are subject to copyright and it is those libraries which Google is accused of infringing.
As regular readers will know, we have labelled this what in journalistic circles we like to refer to as ‘a heap of old horse shit’ that sets a dangerous precedent for the whole industry. However, Oracle is continuing to glove-slap for satisfaction.
The latest papers filed, which Google is yet to contest the addition of, work best if dictated with a single violin playing somberly in the background.
“Although all of these new Android versions are dependent upon the infringing Java code, applications written for these new Android versions are not compatible with the Java platform, because they do not run on the Java platform or on devices implementing the Java platform,” the filing said.
“Similarly, applications written for the Java platform do not run on the versions of Android made available since October 2010. Accordingly, given the widespread dominance Android has achieved with its continued unauthorized use of the 37 Java API packages over the past few years, Android has now irreversibly destroyed Java’s fundamental value proposition as a potential mobile device operating system by breaking the ‘write once, run anywhere’ principle on which Java was built.
“Google’s increasing domination of the mobile device market with Android, and its continuing failure and refusal to make Android compatible with the Java platform, has destroyed the potential value of a licensed derivative version of the Java platform in the mobile device market.”
Cutting to the chase, what Oracle is basically saying is that Google used them, then spat them out, leaving them unappealing to others, which makes them sound like a fallen woman in a Thomas Hardy novel.
The defense is likely to be that Java is an ageing, exploit-ridden system that has to be regularly patched up, and that forking from it was the best thing to do for customers. But, as ever with these epic battles, it’s going to be down to who has the best lawyers. Or the biggest yacht.
Oracle argues that the meteoric rise of the Android platform, and its market dominance, based on thousands of lines of Java code and yielding billions in ad revenues, means that the Ellison yachting fund is due a top-up.
Google has consistently claimed that, even if the APIs are copyright-able, ‘fair use’ is at play. Twice the court has sided with Google, and twice the decision has been overturned on appeal by old men who probably smoke cigars but think that the World Wide Web gives you cancer.
The company is testing updates to private browsing in Firefox designed to block website elements that could be used by third parties to track browsing behavior across sites. Most major browsers, Firefox included, have a “Do Not Track” option, thoughmany companies do not honor it.
Mozilla’s experimental tool is designed to block outside parties like ad networks or analytics companies from tracking users through cookies and browser fingerprinting.
It’s available in the Firefox Developer Edition on Windows, Mac and Linux, and Firefox Aurora on Android, Mozilla said.
The tool is in pre-beta, although it might be incorporated into future versions of Firefox’s main browser.
The tool might cause some data-hungry websites to not load properly, Mozilla said. Users can unblock specific websites if they wish.
The enhancements also better identify unsafe browser add-ons that could install malware or collect user information.
“We’ve worked with developers and created a process that attempts to verify that add-ons installed in Firefox meet the guidelines and criteria we’ve developed to ensure they’re safer for you,” Mozilla said in a blog post.
Web tracking provides fuel to the lucrative business of targeted ads. A recent report showed that the usage of ad-blocking software is on the rise, costing publishers billions of dollars.
Other browser extensions designed to block tracking and targeted ads include Ghostery and AdBlock Plus.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, meanwhile, is trying to develop a new standard for the “Do Not Track” browser setting to make it more effective.
That smartphone you might be using may not be as secure as you thought, according to security research.
The doomsday prophet here is Trend Micro, which said that big name providers are not taking your arm armory seriously. We’ve heard HP wax lyrical on this as well.
Trend Micro apparently took its study seriously, and measured the preventative efforts on hardware including the Apple Watch, Motorola 360, LG G Watch, Sony Smartwatch, Samsung Gear Live, Asus Zen Watch and the Pebble.
Devices were all upgraded to the latest OS versions for the study, and each was paired with its related device: an iPhone 5, Motorola X or Nexus 5.
Physical protection has something like a wet paper bag ranking, and Trend Micro said that the obvious weaknesses will become apparent should a wearable be pinched. Apple seems to do the best work here, and is credited with using a timeout function to prevent easy bad man activation.
However, the Apple device contains the biggest chunks of user data, the firm said, which could cause problems if someone managed to break their way into the Watch and a partnered iPhone.
“Across all of the smartwatches that were tested, it is clear that manufacturers have opted for convenience at the expense of security,” Bharat Mistry, cyber security consultant at Trend Micro, commented.
“On the surface, a lack of authentication features can make devices appear easier to operate, but the risk of having personal and corporate data compromised is much too big an issue to forget about.”
The security company has some top-line, high-concept advice for hardware firms, including the suggestion that “simple security features” should be adopted.
“Manufacturers must ensure that simple security features, such as limited password attempts, are enabled on devices by default,” said Mistry.
“This considerably reduces the likelihood of data breaches. Smartwatch manufacturers must be cognizant of the fact they can slash data breaches by employing this best practice.”
It is estimated that wearables, and the security losses associated with them, will contribute to a criminal cost to the industry of a whopping $2tn by 2019.


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Sauber is confident that it will continue to have a tire management advantage in 2012 having made retaining that characteristic its "primary" goal with the new C31.
According to chief designer Matt Morris, keeping tire degradation minimized has been a fundamental part of the design concept for the new car. This is despite tackling the tire warm-up problems that blighted the team during qualifying last season through changes both to the front and rear suspension.
"That was our primary goal, to make sure that we maintain our good tire management and also get the flexibility to allow more setup changes, particularly in qualifying," he said when asked if he expected Sauber to continue to have a tire advantage.
"It is always a compromise between qualifying and the race. We've got some very good guys back at the factory working in the performance group continually trying to understand the tires and what we need to do in terms of car setup to get the most out of the tires.
"Last year, we suffered a lot in qualifying, so that [improving setup options] has been a big priority for us this year. We have got new front and rear suspension, which allows us lots more setup tools, so we feel that this is one of the areas that we need to focus on. There are a lot of other areas, including how we deal with the exhausts, and again we have spent a lot of time over the winter developing those areas."
Morris added that the car is almost entirely comprised of new parts, but that the design philosophy that drove last year's Sauber C30 has been carried over. He also confirmed that the team has a busy schedule of upgrades in the works, although the upcoming tests will have a big influence on the schedule for improvements.
"Pretty much the whole car is new in terms of the chassis," he said. "All of the suspension is new, so there is very little carryover.
"In terms of development, we have a very busy three tests ahead of us, which will hopefully give us some direction. It's hard to put upgrade timelines in place, but after testing we will know a lot more. The chassis has been designed around a much tighter package, but although it's tight, it's flexible in allowing us to introduce lots of different aerodynamic developments that we've got between now and Melbourne. The exhaust regulations have also been a big challenge.
"We have a base car here that we are rolling out to test lots of different options. We feel we have put in place a very flexible car to challenge for points coring positions."

domain: news


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Property services firm Jones Lang LaSalle IP Inc (JLL) says it is “cautiously optimistic” that business performance in the Macau hotel sector will stabilise “over the medium to long term”.
“Macau has proven itself to be a favoured destination for mainland Chinese visitors and MICE organisers for its accessibility and established infrastructure,” stated the property firm’s hotels and hospitality group in its report “Hotel Destinations Asia Pacific” published this month. The report was referring latterly to the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions trade.
The majority of the casino customers in Macau are tourists. There is however no direct connection between overall tourism figures – including hotel occupancy rates – and casino gross gaming revenue (GGR) in Macau.
JLL referred in its report to the downturn in Macau’s fortunes seen in 2015, which investment analysts had said was linked to mainland China’s anti-corruption crackdown.
“Following a drastic fall in 2015, the mainland Chinese [visitor] market gained some momentum in December 2016, growing by 7.8 percent compared to December 2015, ending the year with a 0.2 percent marginal improvement,” noted the authors.
“Recently, a noticeable increase in VIP gambling numbers is a welcome sign that the market is in recovery,” added the JLL team. Macau government data issued on Monday indicated GGR for the VIP segment rose by 35 percent year-on-year in the third quarter.
Macau’s tourist price index for the third quarter – released on Monday – showed that the sub-index for accommodation increased by 6.75 percent year-on-year and 10.68 percent quarter-on-quarter, but was still down 5.90 percent on an annualised basis.
Data from the Macau Hotel Association show that the average hotel room rate in August – the most recent available data – was MOP1,326.8 (US$165), representing a year-on-year increase of 7.0 percent.
In the year to July 31, the average daily room rate in Macau marketwide was US$167, and the daily revenue per available room was US$146, said JLL, citing data from STR Inc, a research company that tracks supply and demand data for several market sectors, including the global hotel industry.
An August note from Japanese brokerage Nomura nonetheless said a circa 12-percent increase in Macau hotel supply over the “next six to 12 months” could have a negative impact on revenue per available room in the market.
The number of hotel rooms in Macau is set to increase by 39 percent over the next few years, according to government data released in March.
The city is currently on average the fourth most expensive among the nine Asia-Pacific cities most popular with Chinese tourists, said a research report issued in September from brokerage Sanford C. Bernstein and Co LLC, citing data from Budgetyourtrip.com and Sanford Bernstein analysis. The research excluded spending on gaming, retailing and travel costs, but included accommodation.
The number of Macau guest rooms as of August 31 – the most recent data available from the statistics bureau – stood at 37,000, a year-on-year increase of 10.2 percent. They are serving an annual aggregate tourist market comprising circa 30 million arrivals.
JLL said that in another important regional destination for casino customers – Manila in the Philippines – a significant portion of the 1,846 new hotel rooms in the market so far this year had been supplied by the Okada Manila gaming resort. The latter property, promoted by Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment Inc, is slated for an inventory of 993 rooms.
“The outlook for tourism remains bright for the Philippines, amidst continued marketing efforts and infrastructural developments to support the industry,” stated the property firm.
But it added, referring to an Islamist insurgency this year on the southern island of Mindanao and a lone-gunman attack on the Resorts World Manila casino resort in June: “Tourists will need reassuring that the attacks in Marawi City and Resorts World Manila are isolated incidents.”
Dec 01, 2023Fresh event space in casino resorts is welcomed by Macau’s meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector, but visitors’ reception on arrival in the city, high hotel prices, and...
Dec 01, 2023
”We committed to the government to provide a full business idea and plan for Phase 1b around 12 months after the casino opens, therefore, probably early 2025”
President of the Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort in South Korea


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Commerce, Industry and AYUSH ministries have decided to work together to set up an Export Promotion Council to boost AYUSH exports.
This decision was taken at a review meeting of AYUSH trade and industry by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik.
It was also decided that the entire AYUSH sector will work together to achieve price and quality competitiveness to boost exports.
The review meeting was held through video conference.
It was attended by nearly 50 industry and trade leaders from the AYUSH Sector.
More than 2000 stake-holders of the AYUSH Sector also attended the e-event through live streaming on virtual platforms.
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Next -- -- markets have had a great run but he expects a pullback in the short term -- like every dollar purse Gary Goldberg financial services president is here and you EPS -- 1635 by the end of the year but you're getting ready you're getting your clients ready for a pullback yeah.
Absolutely -- so I think it's important for investors to remember a short term pullback -- very much part of the natural cycle markets nothing goes up in a straight line so this is nothing to people should panic about.
But you -- to take a look at your portfolio right now and sell some of the weaker names.
At nickel or -- -- just pointed out you've got two down days in a row potentially that hasn't happened a while -- -- financials breakdown you've had small caps break down and you've had transport.
I don't know that credit those considered a breakdown I consider Friday's market are rapidly -- -- -- I think -- -- were saying it has so many analysts come on and say of course it's gonna go doesn't it.
Will want to end because at this point you've got nothing but strong day.
Some talking about the trend of the last two weeks actually since the last week of march.
Some of these technicals have broken down so that's an early warning signal -- -- FactSet put out a report a couple of weeks ago.
Quo by year over year earnings for the first quarter and it's kicking off today as you pointed out yourself -- expected to declined by zero point 7% I don't that a comparison its fair -- comparisons are tough but I think that's gonna be a little bit of a headline.
News and let's not forget the most important factor stocks -- up 10% in the first quarter.
That's a heck of a year much less a heck of a quarter so you wanna expecting you need to expect a little bit of a pullback we're talking three to 5% we're not talk instances sort a huge number.
And by the way that sets up for pretty good rally going into the late summer probably -- and and fall and winter and that's what we still expect the 1635.
And that's not what history has given us over the past three years -- -- -- 092000 tent that's -- -- and while.
Every time we had a strong spring had sprung a strong kick off next thing you know the fall comes around and something happens at a Washington whether that's -- -- -- the election.
And we take a -- well that's so frustrating part I think.
Yes sort absolutely so that's why you -- -- be a little bit cautiously wanna sell you weaker names and stick to large cap strongly and with good balance sheets.
Stocks that are -- a benefiting from share buybacks -- increased dividends.
Those are names that you want to focus in on and those -- high quality dividend paying stocks generally speaking.
Keep in mind the lack the fourth quarter of last year 2012 kind of Tel two things first half of the quarter of two over early half of November up until just about Thanksgiving things were kind of -- washing into the downtrend.
Very strong December and a surprise everyone I think going into you know the potential fiscal cliff how strong equities traded in end of the December.
So you're saying watch out -- -- earnings front again the real we're kicking off earnings today you're saying that those are his comparisons those numbers of returns for the first quarter of 2013 or not -- and look back.
God that's -- that's sequestration what is that well.
I think it's it's sold I think the full quarter earnings are two things.
It's port the comparisons are difficult so that inevitably makes it challenging but as I talk to you about about a month ago when I was on just before sequestration hit -- That's certainly going to impact hiring and business growth as a -- so everybody's pulling back just a little bit.
And it doesn't take a lot in a fragile economy an economy that's growing by less than 2% annually.
We're a little bit of a pull back and holding back hurts people and -- hiring and growth.
I would've followed a couple of names that you recommended last time that you -- -- -- I'd never say because they're going into different directions you'll like Microsoft and you also liked on campus on.
-- Amazon and apple excuse me Amazon and apple Amazon and apple and apple you're saying that they're gonna have a lot of pressure.
-- -- for yet they're gonna have a some some earnings pressure earnings are expected to be down some 25%.
-- over here.
Now that's been largely built into the stock if you still own apple we like it we continue to hold it and we're buying more on dips because we do think that the apple story -- -- great one.
-- over the next three to five years this is not a short term trade.
-- in this for the short term.
You know at Apple's not the place to be because a technical -- they don't look particularly.
You're saying on Amazon earnings per share for the first quarter up 20% -- relaxed and it's about very bullish call that's a very blunt -- summit to bring you back though and let's check on I'll I'll be here you can call me you can.
Email me if I ever again keep in mind and this is important it's about comparisons and it's about expectations had -- market is expecting those numbers that doesn't mean that the stocks are going to be able -- All of reversing thank you Oliver good to have you on the -- thanks --
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According to a new report, the Galaxy S4 isn’t selling so well anymore. There were early reports, soon after the S4 came out, that its sales were lower than Samsung expected, and with the arrival of phones such as Moto X, iPhone 5S, LG G2, Xperia Z1, and soon the much awaited Nexus 5, Samsung may be in a position that’s worse than they expected, and it may me forced to launch its “next-gen phone” with a 16MP camera and OIS sooner than it had planned to.
Samsung has recently said that it’s working on 64 bit phones, too, but it’s unclear whether that’s a sure thing for the Galaxy S5 or not, especially if they will launch it late winter or very early spring (March). It seems a little early for everyone else to move to 64-bit, because most of them, if not all, are also changing the architecture of the CPU core, so they will have brand new CPU cores for the ARMv8 64-bit architecture.
Apple, in a way, took a shortcut, because it looks like they used more or less the same CPU design as last year, but retrofitted it for ARMv8. They also made the chip at the same old 28nm process, while ARMv8 chips are expected to arrive at 20nm. So new CPU cores, plus new process node, on top of a brand new architecture, and you have all the reasons in the world to see why everyone else will have a to wait a bit until their 64-bit chips are ready (around mid year or even late than that, depending on whether they’re using their own custom CPU cores like Qualcomm, or using ARM’s stock CPU’s).
If Samsung announces the Galaxy S5 in January, and then releases it in February, or at most March, that still seems quite early for this move to 64 bit. Releasing it without being 64-bit, would also be a mistake, and that means you’d have to wait a whole other years until 2015 to get a 64-bit Galaxy S6, or at least until fall to get a 64-bit Galaxy Note 4, which may be too large for most.
There’s also a 3rd possibility, and perhaps the most likely one. Samsung may be playing the media, and ultimately all of us, to make everyone think twice about purchasing that new iPhone, or LG G2, or Xperia Z1 or Nexus 5, and “just wait” to see what’s happening at CES, and if they are really announcing the Galaxy S5 there.
Then, at CES, they could just say that they aren’t announcing the Galaxy S5 then, but they will have a “big announcement” in a couple of months. Then, people who have already waited for it, might decide to just wait another two months, and then another month for the actual launch of the Galaxy S5. Samsung has learned quite a few tricks in showing leaks to the media ever since before the Galaxy S3, so I wouldn’t be too surprised if they played this game right now. You decide whether it’s worth to see if this rumor is true or not.
Image credit: concept-phones.com


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Youi Insurance has launched a new marketing campaign to reinforce its core proposition about tailoring insurance products for individual customers. Youi stands for "You Insured" and the campaign, with the tagline "There’s no-one you’er than you", communicates the tailored approach to insurance that Youi has used to strategically differentiate its brand since launching in November 2008.
There’s no-one you’er than you
Panadol calls on Australians to 'rethink care'
GSK Consumer Healthcare Australia worked with whiteGREY to create a new brand campaign for Panadol as consumers change their approach to pain relief.


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This new Dubai mega-district looks out of this world
There’s a new district coming to town and it’s looking pretty sweet…
Dubai prides itself on being a future-thinking city – and a just-announced new development is taking things one step further.
Say hello to Jumeirah Central, a 47-million-square-foot district set to be built alongside Sheikh Zayed Road that H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced on Saturday.
In line with Dubai’s ‘smart city’ movement, Jumeirah Central will be near the Sharaf DG metro station on the Jumeirah side of Sheikh Zayed Road and will feature environmentally-friendly transport options including aerial gondolas.
If you’re not sure what an aerial gondola looks like, it’s one of those things flying around the top of the picture below:
Yep, we definitely want to go to work on one of those things.
However if aerial gondolas aren’t your favourite form of transport, you can make use of the district’s comprehensive cycling network which spans more than 33 parks and open spaces.
And that’s not all – 35,000 residents will be able to call Jumeirah Central home, and can make use of a range of facilities including schools, offices, parks, malls, smart police services and more.
Half of the district will be open space, and 1 million square feet will be climate controlled for the summer months.
If you’re a mall trawler, there will be three shopping destinations totalling 9 million square feet, as well as 4.5 million square feet of outdoor shopping space.
The new district will offer up 7,200 hotel rooms for visitors – the largest number of hotel rooms centred in one district.
While a completion date for Jumeirah Central is yet to be set, construction is looking to begin within the coming months.
The development keeps in line with Sheikh Mohammed’s vision for Dubai’s future as an internationally recognised ‘smart city’.
“Jumeriah Central is a clear milestone in our journey towards building the city of the future and the creation of engaged and happy communities,” Sheikh Mohammed said. “We will not stop investing in our economy, and these projects are tools to expedite that journey of growth.
“We are confident in the strength of our economy and are optimistic for the future of our nation. To that end, our vision will continuously evolve and expand.”


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Apple released on Monday Security Update 2004-05-03, which delivers a number of security enhancements, according to the notes accompanying the update. Components contained in the update include AFP Server, CoreFoundation and IPSec. Apple also noted that Security Update 2004-04-05 has been incorporated into this security update. The update is available via the Software Update control panel.
This story, "Apple releases May Security Update" was originally published by PCWorld.


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Labour shortages in the Central and Eastern Europe region: an opportunity for households but a threat for local companies
Developments in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) labour markets have been beneficial for households. Rising wages and low inflation, combined with improving consumer confidence, have led to lower unemployment rates and an increase in private consumption. However, the upturn on the labor market is such that companies are increasingly facing difficulties in recruiting, especially qualified personnel. Manpower shortages and the consequential rise in labour costs are concerns for businesses.


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Trade policy is essential to Nelson. We export more per person than any region in New Zealand. Our export sectors earn $1200 million a year and employ over 15,000 people.
National in both government and opposition has consistently backed freer trade. We championed CER with Australia in the 1980s, Singapore in the 1990s, China in the 2000s, and in the last decade the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement or TPPA. The final deal was agreed to in Tokyo on 23 January but the detailed text only became public last week.
It gives us better trade access to ten countries around the Pacific. Total estimated gains to New Zealand are $2.5 billion per year. Benefits for Nelson include duty free access for kiwifruit to Japan and wine to Canada.
The TPPA has triggered over a dozen protests in Nelson, more than any issue since the 1981 Springbok tour. Rachel Boyack led the march up Trafalgar Street with a sign saying “TPPA – No way.” Winston Peters described the deal as a “scam and sham”. They like Trump in America exploited a fear of foreigners to whip up anger. The extraordinary part is that New Zealand First and Labour are now backing TPPA and voting for it in Parliament. The Greens to their credit are having none of this duplicity.
Labour and New Zealand First have attempted to justify their change in position saying the agreement has been revised. The amendments total two pages out of 5,000. Changing the agreements name by adding the words “Comprehensive Progressive” TPPA is just window dressing. Nelson’s TPPA protestors will feel horribly duped by the new government when they read Professor Jane Kelsey’s analysis of how little the TPPA has been altered. www.itsourfuture.org.nz
Trade access matters hugely to New Zealand living standards. We took a big hit in the 1970s when the UK joined the EU, limiting what we could export there. I am proud that National rose above traditional oppositional politics giving Helen Clark the parliamentary numbers to secure the China free trade agreement in 2008. Exports to China have grown six fold from $2 billion to $12 billion contributing to our recent prosperity. We do not want to be too dependent on China any more than the UK or the US. A key benefit of the TPPA is opening new markets and spreading our risks.
It is good news for Nelson that the TPPA is concluded. We are a small nation and we will never get prosperous selling goods to just each other. We should not fear the world. Kiwis can complete globally. Opening up new markets for our quality products is about securing more jobs and better incomes for the future.


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PALO ALTO, Calif. (KGO) -- A new report shows Uber is now charging you what it thinks you're willing to pay.
Some Uber drivers are upset the company was allegedly charging customers more without letting them know and pocketing the difference.
Bloomberg reported Uber has been testing this program in certain cities since late last year and it's being called route-based pricing.
Basically, Uber uses machine-learning techniques to figure out how much to charge customers based on what it predicts they're willing to pay. For example according to Bloomberg, someone coming from a wealthy neighborhood to another high-income area might be asked to pay more for their ride than another person heading to a poorer part of town, even if demand, traffic and distance are the same.
The problem is drivers were never told the passengers were paying more, while Uber allegedly pocketed the difference.
One Uber driver told the San Francisco Examiner, Uber has been cutting prices over the past several years so more people will take Uber, lowering driver's profits.
Uber said it will now tell drivers how much their passengers are paying.
Uber released a statement to ABC7 News saying: "We price routes differently based on our understanding of riders' choices, so we can serve more people in more places at fares they can afford. Riders will always know the cost of a trip before requesting a ride, and drivers will earn consistently for the work they perform with full transparency into what a rider pays and what Uber makes on every trip."
Click here to read more stories about Uber.


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New Delhi: Metro AG, Germany’s biggest retailer, plans to open as many as 50 wholesale stores in the next five years in India, matching the pace of the company’s expansion in China, the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
India, along with China and Russia, will be one of the top three markets for the German retailer in the coming years, Eckhard Cordes, chief executive of Metro, said in an interview in New Delhi on Wednesday. He was on a two-day visit to the South Asian nation.
Market potential:Metro’s chief executive Eckhard Cordes. Metro’s India plans are comparable to its expansion drive in China where it plans to add 50 more stores in the next five years.
Metro, which has six wholesale stores in India since it became the first overseas retailer to open such a store in 2003, is expanding in the world’s second fastest growing economy as it seeks to cut its dependence on its home market, where sales have stagnated in the past decade. Metro’s plans to open wholesale stores in India, where local rules bar foreign companies from opening multi-brand retail stores, comes amid similar plans by overseas rivals and home-grown retailers. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s biggest retailer, plans to open as many as 12 wholesale stores in the country in 2011.
“Our target of 50 stores by 2015 won’t be the end, we definitely see a potential of three-digit number for our stores here,” Cordes said without specifying the actual target or the time frame. “I think the market potential for cash-and-carry business in India, if you do it right, is huge.”
India has potential for a large number of wholesale, also known as cash-and-carry, stores as the country has an estimated 12 million mom-and-pop outlets that the modern wholesalers can cater to. Wholesale stores in India can sell their goods only to retailers and other establishments such as hotels and restaurants.
“Not only retailers, there is also a growing institutional businesses such as hotels, restaurants, caterers, it’s certainly viable,” says Asitava Sen, director of corporate advisory at consulting firm Apco Worldwide Inc.
Metro’s India plans are comparable to its expansion drive in China where it plans to add 50 more stores in the next five years to its current tally of 50 outlets. The stores in China will be a combination of wholesale and consumer electronics outlets called Media Saturn. Metro opened its first Media Saturn store in Shanghai in November.
Bigger rival Wal-Mart has already opened five wholesale stores in India, after its first store came up in Amritsar in May 2009. Cordes admitted that the German retailer has been “very slow” in expanding stores in India.
“The reason is that the first years we have not been able to put in a successful (model) due to several reasons,” he said. “Then the financial crisis came and we scaled down our investments globally.”
Cordes is visiting India for the first time after taking over the top job at Metro three years ago. He has visited the nation several times before as the head of Daimler-Benz AG, the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars.
Late last year, Metro opened its first so-called concept store in Hyderabad. The store is about 3,800 sq. m in size and is 30% smaller compared with its other outlets in India.
Metro has, so far, invested about €100 million (Rs 619 crore) in the past eight years to open six stores. The investment on each store will fall as the company opens the smaller concept stores in the coming years, Cordes said. “We are now been able to scale down investment per store due to the new concept.”
Metro and many other companies scaled down their expansion plans after the global financial crisis in 2008.
“Now we are sort of restarted to accelerate our investments,” Cordes said. The retailer plans to focus on Asia and eastern European countries such as Russia. “In the years to come, we will not distribute our investments for store openings evenly across the globe, there will be a clear focus on Asia plus comparable countries,” he said.
Meanwhile, Metro plans to create three hubs for its accounting department with one each in Germany, India and Poland from its currently centralized operations in its home market. “This is a business which will not be outsourced to third parties but will be shifted from Metro Germany to Metro Poland and Metro India,” he said. “We will sort of reduce some 250 jobs in Germany and shift them to Poland and India.”
The company hasn’t decided on where to open its accounting centre in India. “The basic reason we are doing this is not cost-driven but process driven and we know we can find the appropriate people in India who can do that,” Cordes said.


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Good Beer Co buys essential services workers a beer
Brisbane-based The Good Beer Co has teamed up with independent breweries around Australia to this morning launch A Good Beer Always Helps.
The social enterprise company’s latest campaign lets Australian drinkers thank essential services workers on the frontline of the Covid-19 crisis by purchasing them a four-pack of beer and leaving a message of support.
The Good Beer Co founder James Grugeon says the idea is to not only show gratitude towards healthcare professionals, police, teachers, supermarket workers, cleaners and other essential services workers, but to support a craft beer industry doing it tough under federally mandated social-distancing restrictions that on March 23 forced the closure of taprooms and bars.
“We’re a beer company that exists to do good with beer,” Grugeon told Brews News.
“We’ve worked with some really great breweries across Australia to brew our Great Barrier Beer for the Marine Conservation Society, our Love Beer for marriage equality and our Pale Tail for the RSPCA. So it was a no-brainer for us to want to do something for essential services workers.”
For the campaign, The Good Beer Co has allied with Modus Operandi Brewing in New South Wales, Stomping Ground Brewing Co in Victoria, Newstead Brewing Co in Queensland, Otherside Brewing Co in Western Australia, Sparkke in South Australia, Van Diemen Brewing in Tasmania and Capital Brewing Co in the Australian Capital Territory. Queensland-based non-alcoholic craft beer company Sobah is also involved in the scheme.
“When James approached us and asked us if we would like to be involved we jumped at the chance,” Sparkke co-founder Kari Allen said in a news release this morning.
“To be able to say thank you in a tangible way … is really important right now. Yes, we’re doing it tough at the moment – but being part of an effort to express our gratitude to the people keeping us safe is really good for our morale. And of course, the sales support is just so valuable to us.”
The campaign is being run via Pozible, with a $20 donation buying a four-pack of a core-range beer that’s then allocated to a local brewery. The donation covers the cost of brewing, canning, packing and delivering the beer. Donors can also leave a message of support via the pledge page.
Essential services workers [register to receive a four-pack via The Good Beer Co’s website. They can illustrate their credentials with a work email address, or by uploading a pay slip or other form of identification.
“No one’s making a profit from this,” Grugeon says. “This is about helping our essential services workers first and foremost and obviously giving our local craft breweries a shot in the arm as well.”
Grugeon says A Good Beer Always Helps was inspired by the work of Alan Mahon’s UK-based Brewgooder’s One On Us campaign, which has been taking donations to send four-packs of beer to National Health Service employees.
It also echoes recent crowd-funded coronavirus inspired schemes in Australia such as Feed the Frontline, which provide restaurant-cooked meals to healthcare professionals.
“I think people want to say thank you,” Grugeon says. “Whether it’s an individual, a business or an organisation, I think they want to say thanks [to these people] for going above and beyond right now.”
Grugeon says it was also important to cast the net wider than just healthcare: “Obviously, our doctors and nurses are doing an amazing job and they’re quite rightly the focus of everyone. But it’s the cleaners and admin staff and teaching staff and all those unsung heroes who need a beer as well.”
A Good Beer Always Helps starts taking donations today, with the first beers delivered mid- to late April. Grugeon says that as the campaign builds steam, the idea is for lead breweries in each state to collaborate with other local breweries to help fulfil orders.


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Chile’s Copefrut receives takeover bid
Inversiones Frutícolas SA, a holding company controlled by Chile’s Soler Ruiz family, has made a public stock offering to take 100% ownership of Chilean exporter Copefrut, a company listed on the Santiago stock exchange.
The takeover bid values the exporter at some US $78 million. The holding group is offering US $1,198.80 per share, according to a statement to the country’s securities regulator SVS.
The bid was also announced in a full-page ad in Chilean newspaper La Tercera.
Inversiones Frutícolas SA currently holds an indirect 53% share of Copefrut through a shareholder pact. The holding company comprises Frutícola José Soler S.A., "Solfrut" (72.2% share in Inversiones Frutícolas SA), Inversiones Paso Ancho Ltda. (18.55% share) and Agrícola Ana María S.A. (9.25% share).
According to the statement the offer is valid through December 29 and looks to delist Copefrut from the Santiago exchange as a result.
The holding company wants to restructure the exporter, sell select farming lands in Chile and Uruguay and reorganize its assets, the statement said.


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Analysts expect the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for November to remain at 3.2% when the Office for National Statistics (ONS) discloses the latest pricing data.
If the predictions are accurate, CPI will have been above the Bank of England's 2% target for 12 months in a row.
The figure rose to 3.2% in October from 3.1% in September thanks to sharp rises in the cost of food and clothing.
The Bank recently predicted a spike in inflation towards the end of the year in its quarterly forecast, as commodity prices continue to soar, but insisted that current levels of inflation were down to temporary price shocks, such as food and petrol costs.
The gloomy forecasts were backed up by figures released yesterday that showed manufacturers faced a 9% year-on-year rise in input costs in November, up from 8.2% the month before.
Input prices were pushed higher by rising crude oil and fuel costs, while imported food materials also lifted, although this was partially offset by a fall in home-produced food.
Experts said the pressure was unlikely to ease in the near future, as oil prices have surged from 85 US dollars to 90 dollars a barrel in recent weeks.
Retailers offering promotions to win over cash-strapped consumers could help to limit the inflationary pressures.
Shop price inflation fell to 2% in November from 2.2% in October as stores started Christmas sales early, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium. Food price inflation unexpectedly eased to 4% in November from a 17-month high of 4.4% in October and non-food inflation slowed from 1.1% to 0.9%, it said.Reuse content


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Interisland airline tickets went on sale again Thursday when Mesa Air Group's go! division offered $19 tickets, including taxes, for travel taken June 15-30.
Hawaiian Airlines (Amex: HA) matched the offer.
"Seats are limited, but will be available on most flights," spokesman Keoni Wagner said.
Privately held Aloha Airlines followed suit.
"This looks like something go! is offering just to its regulars, but, yes, we're matching it," said Aloha marketing chief Thom Nulty.
Earlier in the week, Hawaiian and Aloha took the unusual step of not matching a Mesa salvo when Mesa marked the first anniversary of go! by offering 1,000 tickets for $1 for 12 hours. Left with the field to itself, go! took 12,000 visitors to its Web site until its booking engine crashed for seven hours. It offered 1,000 more tickets at $1 after getting the site back up.


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SAN MATEO, Calif. Altera Corp. and Xilinx Inc. are hoping a slew of new processor cores will draw more system architects to choose programmable-logic devices over ASICs. The cores represent one of the most intense battles between the two top PLD vendors as they jostle for leadership in the high end.
Leveraging both homegrown and third-party processors, the companies say they expect to play a greater role in applications like networking, where hard- and soft-processor cores can work in tandem. As they reach out to system architects, it's becoming increasingly important for PLD vendors to provide customers with a way to partition hardware and software.
"We're seeing a large number of customers that are interested in having control functions on the FPGA rather than on the side," said Babak Hedayati, senior director of product marketing at Xilinx. "They'd prefer to offload some functionality on the controller rather than do everything in logic."
Indeed, Altera, which got the ball rolling last year with its Nios soft-processor core, said it has shipped 2,500 Nios development kits to paying customers and expects to train 3,000 customers by year's end.
"We realized that it's not about the instruction set. It's about how easy it is to use and put the systems together and compile down," said Jordan Plofsky, senior vice president of embedded-processor products at Altera.
Altera this week announced its second spin of the Nios architecture, available in 16- and 32-bit versions. The core is smaller and faster than the earlier Nios, and includes new features like arbitration logic to support multiple processors and customized instructions, the company said.
At the same time, Altera rolled out its ARM9-based Excalibur, which will come in three versions with different amounts of programmable-logic array and SRAM. Based on a hard-processor core, the device will serve as Altera's high-end processor solution for the foreseeable future.
Xilinx, for its part, is offering its Microblaze processor core, which runs as high as 125 MHz, making it the leader in raw performance, according to the company. The processor is geared for IBM's Coreconnect, a freely licensable on-chip bus that will serve as the common link for the company's cores. Xilinx is also planning to roll out by early next year a PowerPC-based FPGA device that is slated to run faster than 300 MHz, giving it a performance rating of 420 Dhrystone Mips, according to the company.
Altera modified the Nios core so that it takes up fewer logic elements, the building blocks of its PLD fabric. This reduced the routing overhead, kicking up the speed to 80 MHz and boosting performance to 40 Dhrystone Mips.
As part of the Nios offering, Altera has included arbitration logic that toggles data traffic between the Nios processor bus, known as Avalon, and data memory.
"You can add an unlimited number of masters and we can get gigabit-per-second bandwidth. In communications systems, you can use multiple masters to send and receive packets simultaneously," said Anna Chiang, director of marketing for the Excalibur business unit at Altera.
Another trick is the ability for customers to create up to five new instructions that are translated into hardwired logic. By exploiting this feature, a user can see performance improve by as much as 75 times, depending on the application and the regularity of the code, according to Altera.
Xilinx, for its part, is emphasizing the raw performance of its Microblaze core, which became available this week. The fastest version runs at 125 MHz on the company's Virtex 2 FPGA, and has a performance rating of 82 Dhrystone Mips. "What we care about is Dhrystone Mips that's where the processor shows its capabilities," said Hedayati. "We have a tremendous speed advantage."
Microblaze uses a two-tiered bus structure based on IBM's Coreconnect on-chip bus. The soft processor is connected to the local bus, and bridges to an on-chip processor bus from which peripherals hang.
The use of Coreconnect will provide a common link to a forthcoming device with an embedded PowerPC core, licensed from IBM. Xilinx envisions, for example, using two PowerPC cores and five Microblaze processors on one FPGA, all tied together through Coreconnect. The company expects the PowerPC-based device will be ready to ship by early 2002.
Rather than placing it in the corner of the chip, Xilinx is putting the PowerPC core in the middle of the FPGA fabric. Hedayati said this was more of an engineering challenge because it required changes to the software and routing structure, but was necessary for processing data coming in over 3.125-Gbit/s serial I/Os.
Meanwhile, Altera said its first hardened-processor device based on the 200-MHz ARM922T is ready to ship now. Part of Altera's Excalibur family, the device includes single- and dual-ported SRAM, an interface to external SDRAM, a JTAG port and various processor-specific peripherals. By the end of the year, Altera plans to come out with three versions that will have varying amounts of programmable elements and SRAM.
The processor subsystem, which sits on one edge of the chip and takes 11 percent of the die area, can run on its own without setup from the PLD array. Bridges that link the processor, memory and PLD fabric have been preinstalled. Except for the smallest version, the ARM-based devices include a trace module for software debug.
Altera is also keeping an eye out for applications that can use both hard- and soft-processor cores in a PLD. A packet processor that encodes and decodes optical channels, for example, could use two Nios processors and two packet processors in the PLD fabric, and hand off exceptions through a dual-port memory to the ARM processor.


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According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ebang International Holdings, a cryptocurrency mining hardware manufacturer is looking to raise up to $100 million from an initial public offering (IPO).
This isn’t the first time the mining hardware manufacturer has attempted to go public. In 2018, it tried be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) while looking to raise up to $1 billion via an initial public offering. However, Ebang ended up allowing its application to lapse.
The Hangzhou-based firm had generated over 82% of its revenue in 2019 making these crypto miners, raking in a whopping $109 million. The figure was down 66% from 2018, experiencing a net loss of $41.1 million. Ebang noted that next month’s bitcoin halving, regulatory changes in China, and the potential price moves associated with the COVID-19 outbreak could affect its revenue.


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Consumer watchdog sounds alarm on extended auto loans
Canadians buying bigger vehicles with loans of 6, 7 and 8 years, exposing them to higher debt
Canadians are increasingly buying too much car and paying for it with loans that extend for six, seven and eight years, according to a federal consumer watchdog.
For many, that means high interest charges that increase the cost of the car and put consumers at risk of credit default, said Lucie Tedesco, commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.
Canadians brought home 1.9 million new vehicles in 2015, a record sales number.
- Couple feel 'robbed' by 25% interest TD car loan
- Canadians taking on more auto debt over longer terms
But those record sales, as well as the trend to larger SUVs and pickup trucks, have been financed with extended auto loans, the FCAC said in a research report issued Tuesday.
The traditional term for auto loans is about five years.
But since 2010, consumers have increasingly opted for six, seven and eight-year loans.
Buying more car or truck
"The monthly payments on extended-term loans for more expensive vehicles are often roughly the same as those for economy-class vehicles financed over conventional terms," FCAC said in its report.
So consumers can buy more car or truck if they extend payments over a longer period.
Long-term car loans constitute approximately 60 per cent of the car loan portfolios of Canada's largest financial institutions, FCAC found.
And because autos depreciate in value so quickly, the outstanding balance on the loan outstrips the value of the vehicle, often for several years. This is called negative equity.
When consumers have negative equity in the car and want to trade it in for something newer, they may face tighter credit terms and higher borrowing costs. FCAC said this is not sustainable, for either the consumers or the lenders.
"Consumers put themselves in the position of having to roll the debt owing on the long-term loan into the loan for the purchase of the new vehicle, thereby potentially stepping onto an auto-debt treadmill," Tedesco warns.
She urged consumers to educate themselves about the full interest costs they would pay during the length of the loan and to consider their own overall debt costs each month.
The Canadian Automobile Dealers' Association responded to the report by agreeing that loan terms are longer, but pointing out the low default rate on auto loans.
Dealership association responds
"Our low-rate environment means much auto debt is financed at zero per cent. In that context, it is a fully rational choice on the part of the consumer to extend the length of the loan," CADA economist Michael Hatch said in an email statement.
The association also took issue with parts of the FCAC report that describe how dealers act as intermediaries between the consumer and the lender, presenting loans to consumers from lenders that offer a percentage to the dealership.
The value of the auto loan financing market has doubled to $120 billion annually in the past eight years and it can be a very competitive business.
But CADA said dealers arrange for the best financing options for their customers and they always have options.
FCAC points to the rise of non-prime lending — loans to people who would not otherwise get credit.
Approximately one-quarter of Canada's auto finance market is non-prime, meaning very high borrowing costs. The people affected are often younger consumers or new Canadians.


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It looks like the Zune is going to launch at $299, according to retailers that are set to sell the Microsoft portable music player.
Apple Computer chief executive Steve Jobs has been boasting about his company's much-rumored iPod cell phone amongst inner circles, AppleInsider has been told.
Forthcoming Dell's AMD-based notebooks, which are expected to be available in late October or early November, will be equipped with ATI Mobility Radeon graphics chips, according to sources at Taiwan notebook makers.
Melville (NY) - Nikon has finally taken the wraps off of its new D80 digital SLR camera. The new 10.2-megapixel camera can take up to three shots per second promises a strong battery that is able to offer enough juice to shoot up to 2700 pictures on one charge.
Samsung announced that it has developed the first 3" LCD for digital still cameras (DSC) that is capable of displaying a resolution of 640x480 pixels (VGA).
Valhalla (NY) - A new camera from Fuji could help law enforcement catch criminals. The FinePix S3 Pro UVIR is a 12-megapixel digital camera that can also photograph in ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths. Ultraviolet photography can capture gun shot residue, blood and semen stains along with altered writing. Infrared photos could help police in night surveillance situations.
San Diego (CA) - Sony today announced a portable communicator device that connects to any open Wi-Fi hotspot and enable its users to stay in contact with friends via email, chat and voice chat.
Mobile communicators are not a new idea, we have seen several devices come and go especially in the past five years. Probably the most noteworthy is AOL's Mobile Communicator that tried to make AOL "Anywhere" a reality by merging cellphone connectivity with email and instant messaging functionality into a pocket-sized form factor back in 2001.
Panasonic today launched the Toughbook CF-29, the first Toughbook that comes with Cingular's 3G Broadband Connect service as standard feature.
The One Laptop per Child (OLPC) association says that it will preload its $100 laptop computers with a snapshot of select Wikipedia articles. In a statement releases with the announcement, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales was quoted saying "OLPC's mission goes hand in hand with our goal of distributing encyclopedic knowledge, free of charge, to every person in the world. Not everybody in the world has access to a broadband connection. This is exactly the type of project that advances Wikipedia's core mission."
Nvidia will soon announce that Merom-based notebooks (Merom is a codename that Intel used for its recently announced T-series mobile Core 2 Duo processors) support its dual-graphics SLI technology, according to sources at Taiwan notebook makers. The sources pointed out that Dan Vivoli, executive vice president of Nvidia, attended Intel's recent launch of Core 2 Duo processors in Silicon Valley, considering this as a sign of possible cooperation between Intel and Nvidia.
Notebook vendors, including Dell, Acer and Hewlett-Packard (HP), have begun cutting prices for Intel Core Duo notebooks that feature the Yonah T2300E CPU, in an attempt to accelerate inventory clearance of Sonoma models prior to the launch of Merom-based systems, according to sources.
Intel has updated the software behind its Centrino chip bundle to fix three security vulnerabilities that, in one case, could allow an attacker to execute code remotely on a laptop.
Inventec Appliances may not be able to start volume production of Palm's PDA phone, the Treo 700p, until September, due to related software problems, according to market sources.
Dell apparently halted R&D development of PDA products since the middle of 2005, when Dell's Taiwan Design Center (TDC) completed development of the PC vendor's last Axim-series device, which was manufactured by High Tech Computer (HTC), according to market sources.
Microsoft is serious about taking on Apple in the portable media player business. According to several media reports covering an analyst conference held by the company yesterday, the company is set to throw in hundreds of millions of dollars into its new business - which may not only impact but also threaten the existence of several smaller media player makers such as Creative or Iriver.
In a report released today, iSuppli delivered the stunning news that 82.6% of all mobile PCs produced worldwide - more than four out of five units produced anywhere - are outsourced by their vendors to original design manufacturers (ODMs).
Last Friday, Engadget reported that it had learned from an unnamed publisher that certain of its staff had been ordered to ship electronic copies of all its manuscripts to Apple. Like an echo chamber set to reverb, press sources have sited this story as an indication that such a device could be announced as soon as September. Let's re-examine the facts.
Motorola's new line of Razr handsets is slimmer than ever, and the company hopes the they will expand the customer base of its already popular line of cell phones.
In just the latest move to bolster the wealth of video content available for the iPod, Apple has reached an agreement with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group to make several of its more popular franchises available for download via iTunes.


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NXT expects sound advances
Futuristic sound technology group NXT claimed we are just a few years from telling our cars what to do while we listen to high-quality music and check the weather forecast on our large-screen mobile phones.
In the year to June the company lost £11.2m on sales of £13m but actually made a gross profit of £4.2m. But that was swiftly swallowed by operating expenses of £15.7m and exceptional items costing £8.8m.
Chief executive David Pearson proudly announced a licensing deal with Daimler-Chrysler to put its light, thin SurfaceSound speakers into Mercedes-Benz cars. But he warned that it could take four years for the eagerly awaited 20/20 speech recognition technology to reach the public.
'We have to give limited-vocabulary but robust military technology the capacity to learn a much wider vocabulary,' said Pearson. 'It will just take time to complete the software engineering.' By 2002 he expects the large-screen mobile phones to be on the market.
Losses in the current year will be higher than before as there will be a full year's spending on 20/20. But Pearson expects at least 50 of NXT's 200 licensees to go into production during the year.
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Ag briefs: Equity Coop suspends sales at Marion
Marion suspends sales
Equity Cooperative Livestock has made the difficult decision to suspend the sales at the Marion market in response to the current COVID-19 situation. Equity Marion will suspend all activities and will not hold sales on Mondays or Saturdays. Additionally, no private treaty on Wednesdays. Equity sincerely appreciates the support received from our producers, buyers, truckers and employees.
“This decision is a further eff ect to reduce exposure to COVID-19 across our markets amid our country’s current health crisis,” stated Tod Fleming, Chief Operating Offi cer. “Because of our importance in the food chain, Equity will continue to operate and host sales at our other markets. However, during this time of health crisis, only active buyers and employees are allowed in our facilities.”
Timm Gildernick, Marion’s Market Manager, will be working with producers to help find trucking and alternative markets livestock can go during this temporary shut down. As this pandemic continues to affect the normalcy of our daily lives as well as our organizations, Equity continues to work together with others involved who are critical to the food supply chain.
COLUMBUS JUNCTION, IA
Pork plant shuttered after virus outbreak
Tyson Foods said Monday that it has suspended operations at a large pork processing plant in southeastern Iowa where more than two dozen workers have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Associated Press.
Spokesman Gary Mickelson said the suspension went into effect on Monday at the plant in Columbus Junction. He said it will last for the duration of this week and be revisited at that point.
Mickelson said the plant’s 1,400 workers would continue to be paid this week despite the suspension.
He said the company was diverting livestock shipments that were scheduled to be delivered to Columbus Junction to other plants in the region, such as Waterloo and Perry.
The plant processes and packages fresh pork that is sent to retail and food service customers.
Tyson said that it has taken several steps to try to protect plant workers, including taking temperatures before their shifts and increasing cleaning and sanitizing of breakrooms, locker rooms and other areas.
Wisconsin granted federal disaster declaration due to COVID-19 pandemic
Gov. Tony Evers announced on April 4, that Wisconsin has been granted a major disaster declaration for the entire state of Wisconsin, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The declaration provides access to Public Assistance programs for all 72 Wisconsin counties and the state’s federally recognized tribes.
Gov. Evers earlier in the week requested that the federal government provide the following programs to support the state’s response: Public Assistance, Direct Assistance, Hazard Mitigation (statewide), and certain Individual Assistance programs; Crisis Counseling, Community Disaster Loans and the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Program.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) notified the state on April 4, that it is granting the request for Public Assistance to help provide reimbursement for emergency protective measures taken by state and local governments in their response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The declaration also authorizes direct Federal Assistance which means when the State and local governments lack the capability to perform or to contract for eligible emergency work and/or debris removal, the State may request that the work be accomplished by a federal agency. The governor’s additional requests for assistance remain under review.
Beef plant workers test positive for COVID-19
Ten workers at a central Nebraska beef plant have tested positive for the new coronavirus as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise, public health officials announced Friday.
According to Associated Press, the cases were confirmed at the JBS beef plant in Grand Island. The plant will not be shut down, however, because the federal government considers food and agricultural production and processing facilities essential infrastructure.
Statewide, Nebraska had 279 confirmed cases as of Friday afternoon, and six have died. Nearly 4,500 have tested negative.
The news came as health experts who are advising Gov. Pete Ricketts warned that Nebraska is only in "the second inning" of its struggle against the outbreak, and more deaths are expected.
NEW YORK, NY
Court approves Dean Foods asset sale
A bankruptcy court has approved the asset sale of one of the U.S.'s biggest dairy companies, Dean Foods.
Dean Foods Co. got the go-ahead to sell $433 million worth of properties and interests to the Dairy Farmers of America. Dean filed for bankruptcy protection in November of last year. Another major milk producer, Borden Dairy Co., filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year.
The dairy industry has been struggling for decades as consumers increasingly shun milk for juice, soda and an array of non-dairy milk substitutes made from soy, almonds or oats. Since 1975, the amount of liquid milk consumed per capita in the U.S. has tumbled more than 40%.
In addition to the sale of several production facilities and distribution branches, Dallas-based Dean has also lined up buyers for several of its brands, including Uncle Matt's, Berkeley Farms and Meadow Gold Hawaii.
NEW LONDON, WI
CHS Larsen Cooperative announces new agronomy location
CHS Larsen Cooperative announced its latest acquisition of the former Pinnacle Ag/ADM facility on Stockton Road just east of Stevens Point. In addition to dry fertilizer products, the cooperative plans on marketing liquid fertilizer, crop protection products and seed to growers in the area.
“This facility fits well into our long-range growth plan to serve the area with our full line of agronomy products,” says David Neal, general manager, CHS Larsen.
In addition to the agronomy staples of fertilizer, crop protection products and seed, the cooperative also features a full line of precision ag products and services as well as grower input financing. In past years, CHS has only been able to offer feed, grain and energy products in the area. The addition of the Stockton facility will tie all the pieces together, allowing CHS to offer its complete line of products and services to area growers.
“As a cooperative, we are always looking for ways to help our owners grow and provide better service to them,” says Neal. “In order to do this, we’ve decided we need to expand our service area and facilities as well. By adding the Stockton facility to our existing agronomy outlets, we will be able enhance our distribution options during the fast-paced planting season when secure supply and logistics are critical to all growers. The physical location of the plant along the I-39 and Highway 10 corridor gives us excellent, efficient logistical options to both the central and northeastern Wisconsin markets that we now serve.”
The CHS Stockton facility is well situated to earn local growers’ business by offering traditional and proprietary products that will enhance yield through personalized local service which every grower expects and deserves.
Online exam available for temporary pesticide applicator certification
A new online exam is available for individuals to become temporarily certified until Oct. 31 as a commercial pesticide applicator. This video details how to sign-up for the exam: https://youtu.be/_0dKigCIhVQ
Currently, the following categories are available: Field and Vegetable Crops (Cat 1.1), Structural Pest Control (Cat 7.1).
Additional categories will be available on the following dates: April 6: Forestry (Cat 2.0), and Right-Of-Way/Natural Areas (Cat 6.0), April 8: Turf and Landscape (Cat 3.0), and Aquatic and Mosquito (Cat 5.0), April 10: Aerial (Sub Category 9.9) – requires certification with a base category (for example, Field and Vegetable Crops, etc.)
More information about the pesticide certification extension and frequently asked questions are available at datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/PesticideCertExtension.aspx.
As a reminder, DATCP has suspended in-person pesticide certification testing as of March 18, 2020. If certification expires Jan. 31 - Sept. 30, DATCP has extended your certification until Oct. 31. You can continue to operate as a certified applicator until Oct. 31.


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New Delhi: The Modi government, unable to get states to buy onions it has imported, is now offering it to them for as little as Rs 10/kg.
According to documents accessed by ThePrint, the central government, which was earlier offering the imported onions for Rs 48-54/kg is now looking to sell them to the states for Rs 10-25/kg.
The decision comes as states, despite repeated requests, have procured just 8 per cent of the imported onions. The government fears that the remaining stock, lying at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai, will end up decomposing.
The central government’s problems have also been compounded by the fact that Haryana, which had procured 1,100 Metric Tonnes (MT) of the imported onions, has returned the stock on the grounds that it was rotten on arrival.
The Centre now risks running up losses worth Rs 200 crore.
The Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation of India (MMTC), assigned to import the onions, has so far spent Rs 226 crore for the imports but has sold onions worth only Rs 17-19 crore.
Sources in the consumer affairs ministry said that the losses may increase further as the last few payments for import are yet to be made by MMTC.
“As of 31 January, MMTC has placed a demand of Rs 226 crore for import of onions while only Rs 17-19 crore worth of onions have been sold out,” an official in the consumer affairs ministry told ThePrint.
The MMTC Tuesday tweeted that it will hold e-auctions for the sale of onions and also upload tenders on its website.
MMTC is holding e-auctions for sale of imported onions on NeML & Agribazaar. MMTC will also upload tenders on its website for sale of imported onions. Bidder can participate via-https://t.co/BMJmsGeWi9https://t.co/1QNaLGQTFyhttps://t.co/s7MofCsd7x
— MMTC Limited (@mmtc_ltd) February 4, 2020
‘States reluctant to buy’
The government has imported 36,500 MT onions from November onwards, in a bid to bring down prices of the essential commodity, which had skyrocketed to Rs 100/kg in November and December of last year.
The states have so far procured only 2,609 MT of the 36,500 MT and around 900 MT was auctioned in Mumbai.
The states have been reluctant to buy the produce mainly due to a delay in the arrival of imported onions, and the ready availability of cheaper local varieties.
A source familiar with the matter told ThePrint that the states are also not keen on buying the onions due to different taste, sprouting and putrefying of the imported onions.
The government had also offered the onions to Bangladesh and Maldives. While Maldives did not respond, Bangladesh wanted indigenous produce, as opposed to the imported one, which the government refused as the export ban on onions is still in place.
In a last-ditch effort to avert the loss, the consumer ministry might write to the chief secretaries of state and food processing industry to procure the perishing onions.
The ministry may also look at calling home ministers of BJP-ruled states such as Uttar Pradesh and Assam to procure the onions.


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If you know what's good for you, you'll watch this video. I encountered the ultimate "Mini Me" of Transformer Land this Saturday at the 2007 BotCon Transformers trade show in Providence, RI. Lil' Optimus and his madcap creator (Mr. Stripey Hat) spent several months converting his motorized wheelchair into a full-blown Optimus Prime tractor trailer. It even opens up to reveal Prime's gun and a Wal-Mart storage bin—I mean—Roller! The two were a hit at BotCon, and I was fortunate enough to extract some words of wisdom from the G1 Joystick General.
Kickin' It Old School With Lil' Optimus at the 2007 BotCon
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There’s a reason Tom Holland wasn’t at the Avengers: Endgame premiere in Los Angeles this week. He’s currently in the middle of expensive reshoots for Doug Liman’s dystopian thriller Chaos Walking—a movie that’s in such rough shape, it’s reportedly “unreleasable.”
When a promotional video for German camera maker Leica hit the web this week, it looked like a bold statement about the hard work done by photojournalists around the world. But the company is now distancing itself from the 5-minute video after Chinese social media users cried foul and the word “Leica” was banned on social media site Weibo. The problem? The dramatic video is set in 1989 during the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests that are forbidden to talk about in China.


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Toyota is making the move by 2017.
Toyota has revealed that the new Mirai hydrogen fuel cell sedan can be leased for $499 a month when it goes on sale next fall.
The Shelby GT350 will be a screamer.
No word yet whether the Volkswagen Golf R wagon will make it to our shores.
Options include a $900 head-up display and a $1800 air suspension.
Filmmaker owner returns to make a new video with the finished product.
Points toward production convertible.
How should Ford spread the flat-plane love around?
No sulfur here.
AUTOMOBILE has put several 2015 models to the test, but only a select few were good enough to be named All-Stars.


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November 17, 2014
Optus recently launched its contactless payments service dubbed as Cash by Optus. It is currently an Android-only smartphone app designed to replace cash and card purchases below $100. The contactless payments app has been launched in collaboration with Visa and Heritage Bank. ‘Cash by Optus’ uses NFC and Visa payWave technology. Unlike other services, it is not tied to a specific bank.
The entire solution is SIM-based, so customers need to request a special SIM from Optus. The choice of a SIM solution makes it possible to use the service even when the phone's battery is dead. So basically, one can simply use the app without opening it on your phone. The company claims that the contactless service works as kind of a virtual card that seems just like a Visa Prepaid debit card. So, it can be used at any payment terminal that accepts Visa payWave.
The technology uses international EMV chip standards meaning in the event the phone is lost, Optus can close the Cash by Optus account and customers can dispute payments made. Customers will have to load up $500 at a time to use for payments. The app allows users to top up and check your remaining balance online in real time. The app will also allow customers to shop online or over the phone for purchases up to $250. Currently it is available for limited devices and for postpaid customers only who own select Android devices including Samsung’s Galaxy S3, S4 and S5.
'There are already nearly one million Optus postpaid customers with compatible devices who could download this app, get the SIM and make purchases using Cash by Optus,' said Ben White, vice president, Mobile Marketing at Optus, in an official press release. We’re the first Australian telco to launch a mobile payments app, and because it’s compatible with many of the latest Android devices and can be linked to any Australian bank account, we’ve got a huge opportunity to bring this technology to a lot of people.
As technology and communications converge, Cash by Optus is a natural evolution for Optus. This is our first step towards launching future contactless applications in areas like public transport. Australians never leave home without their mobiles, so it makes sense to build this technology into smartphones now, Ben further added.